


Born Again

by Heybells2055



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Gen, Random & Short, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-21
Updated: 2019-03-21
Packaged: 2019-11-26 21:52:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18186203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heybells2055/pseuds/Heybells2055
Summary: Dogmeat had been reincarnated more times than countable. He just doesn't know it until he runs into a certain fortuneteller. She tells him his destiny.Now he knows his purpose- so similar to the one he's had in every life so far.Help the one who changes the world.





	Born Again

The old woman stared into his eyes, her blue hazey ones dimming slightly as her mind wandered to someplace other than the present. He did not know what the other place was that she seemed to keep getting stuck in, but it was the second time it happened in the few minutes he had known her. Her scent was sickly- like acid. He recognized the smell because the last human he had traveled with reeked of it too.

Drugs. She was high on the ‘bad stuff’. It made humans mean.

He whimpered and backed away slightly as the woman started to talk. “I see an old soul in you.” She said, her voice soft and wispy. The wind could have carried it away. He lowered himself closer to the ground, as if to duck away from the radiated breeze that carried her voice over him. 

“Mama Murphy, stay away from that Mutt!” An angry female yelled from the pack of humans that watched on and he yipped in alarm and backed off as she approached the old woman. 

These people had seemed ok enough from a distance. He had just wanted food. Not trouble.

The old woman ignored the angry one, still staring at him. She left her food off to the side, untouched since he made the mistake of walking up to her to beg for it. The last time he ate was three sunrises ago, when his owner had still lived. He should have just tried to hunt instead of approaching her. Concord wasn’t far away. He could have gone there. 

“-You've been here on this earth a long time, haven’t you?” Mama Murphy leaned forward in her chair, an intense atmosphere seeming to radiate off of her. It snapped his attention away from the food and he looked up at her, his brown eyes meeting her hazy blue ones.

Over the years he had learned to understand human speak, and most words he could understand with little thought- but nothing she was saying made sense. Her mind was gone, he decided. It was probably why she was the only one who got to sit down and eat why the others stood. She was old and weak. 

He backed away further, deciding to make a run for it. Hopefully they wouldn’t shoot if they saw he was no trouble.

The old woman saw his decision to run somehow, and held up a hand as if to stop him. She seemed to measure him for a moment, before speaking. “ Wait....Dogmeat.” 

He froze, body tense as the wind carried the name over to him. Something inside clicked at the word, but he could not say why he found the name so familiar. It stopped him from running away however and Mama Murphy relaxed into her seat. She stared at him, seeming to burn a hole into his flank. He squirmed under her gaze, a gust of dust the only thing between them.

“You can not see it. Have no memory of it. But I can see you. I can see you. Old soul. Good soul.” She said to him. “Come closer dear.” she waved him over, placing the plate of brahmin meat on the ground invitingly for him. He stayed stock still for the longest time, whimpering when the pain in his stomach grew at the sight of food. He didn't want to get closer to her, but his instincts were winning.

Wary, and visibly apprehensive, he approached. The angry woman who stood behind Mama Murphy's chair hissed and backed up, going to stand next to a wilted crying man. Dogmeat watched the human pack, gauging their movements as he reached the plate of food. The man in the hat who carried a laser musket seemed to understand there was no danger and he continued to eat after a moment, picking up where he left off when he saw him approach. Despite the human's relaxed posture, he was keeping an eye on their surroundings.

The angry woman scowled as Dogmeat took a hesitant first bite. “That’s good meat, If Mama Murphy isn’t going to eat it, she shouldn’t give it to that Mutt and give it to one of us instead.” 

“Calm down Marcy. That’s a big healthy dog right there. Maybe he could help us out. We could use the extra...um...well-” 

“That’s the stupidest thing I've heard today, Garvey.” Marcy bit out, turning her back on the scene and finally sitting down on the dead ground.

“Ignore them.” Mama Murphy whispered to him, leaning over in her rusted chair as he continued to eat. “You and I have things to discuss. You are reborn. Reincarnated, from a life before. Many times if what I see is trusted.” 

He paused ever so slightly, his ears turning back as her words once again confused him. Reincarnated? Reborn? That can't be true. 

“You are chosen, by fate, to help the one who changes things. The one who has impact in his or her time. One who will go down in history, the name of a legend. You've helped others before- others of the past. A Vault Dweller. A Chosen One. A Lone Wanderer. A Courier.” She continued, seeming oblivious to his frozen form as her eyes once again got that far away look in them. 

Dogmeat felt something vague rise up in his mind and he realised he was trying to remember. And he could almost...it was just out of reach. He didn’t want to believe this woman, but he could not fight off the feeling of _rightness_ at her words.

Still in a trance, Mama Murphy continued to speak. “Now you will help...a Survivor. A sole Survivor. In your near future! She is out of time, and you will be her loyal guide, just as you were to the others. You felt it, didn't you? An unexplained pull? Calling you. The reason why you travel this way... She is coming, and your fate is hers! The universe is lining up, and now it is time to do what you were meant to do in this life.” Murphy smiled at him as she saw the change begin to happen within him. The fates had sent him to her, and she had done her job. Now, the future could happen the way it was meant to and all would be right. 

“It’s a dog Mama Murphy.” Marcy growled over her shoulder. “Not a prophet.” 

Mama Murphy finally turned away from Dogmeat to look over her shoulder at the others in her group. “He will help guide our salvation to us!” 

“Not likely. How can some mangy, stupid, ugly dog fix what's happened-” 

“-That’s quite enough! No more about dogs or destiny. Come on, we've lingered here long enough. If everyone is done, let’s head out. We should be able to make it to concord by nightfall.” Preston ordered, gaining the attention of the remaining survivors. Marcy clamped her mouth shut reluctantly, still throwing looks at Dogmeat. They all got ready, preparing for the long walk ahead and checking their weapons. 

As they moved around, Mama Murphy turned to Dogmeat, who was now licking the empty plate. “Go now, Dogmeat. You now know who you are! You now know your purpose...” She reached forward and patted his head, and he felt something shift again at her lingering touch. Like magic, the mental shield blocking his memories burst like a dam and suddenly he knew. Every past, every life, came to him in a instantaneous moment and as suddenly as it happened, he was a new dog. No longer just a scavenger's smart protector.

 _He had a purpose- Has always had a purpose._

_Her_

Mama Murphy bid him farewell and he watched as she got up and left, following the others as they headed out. Nothing else was said, but Dogmeat knew he would be seeing her again. 

After they disappeared over the horizon, Dogmeat looked up into the sky, wondering about his past lives and if he had done what he was truly meant for in them. He supposed it didn't matter anymore, no matter how much he missed his past owners now that he could remember them. He was here again, born to help the Sole Survivor of this life in her mission. He knew no matter what happened, he had to help his Sole Survivor complete her destiny, even if it meant giving up his life in the end. Each one of his owners had impacted the world in some way, and he had been there to see it. Just like he would be there for Sole. 

When she awoke, he would be waiting for her. Loyal, unconditional, and protective, until the very end.


End file.
